In many northern watersheds, runoff occurring with snowmelt brings the largest pulse of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and other solutes from soils to streams. Yet, exactly how DOM fractions are altered with movement through soils and into streams is not well understood, particularly with changes in snowmelt timing and magnitude. We studied the optical character of DOM as it moved through a northern forested watershed, from contrasting aspects with different snowmelt rates, and into a small headwater stream. We found significant differences among optical characteristics of leaf leachates, DOM within soil horizons on contrasting north-facing and south-facing aspects, and stream DOM.